“I spoke to [Trudeau] today. I told him about Quebec’s concerns about the possible imposition by the United States of tariffs on its aluminum imports from Canada,” Legault said via Twitter on Wednesday. “Canada must firmly oppose the US imposition of tariffs on aluminum, and if the US goes ahead, Canada must impose tariffs on US products… jobs in Quebec are at stake.”
Trudeau has cautioned against plans to slap new duties on Canadian aluminum imports which the US trade office claims has been flooding American markets. The prime minister said earlier this month that US companies would suffer if the Trump administration hits Canadian metal imports with tariffs that lack any justification.
According to reports, contention around the proposed sanctions prompted Trudeau to forego a summit in in Washington, DC with US President Donald Trump and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to commemorate the entry of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into force.
Quebec is a major center of aluminum production in Canada. Officials from Quebec made protection of the province’s aluminum sector a key sticking point during the new North American Free Trade negotiations earlier this year.
